By: Terra Andrews March 6th, 2024
What is Vestibular Rehabilitation?
Terra Andrews is a physical therapist at South Alabama. Most people consider physical therapy an orthopedic-dominated field, but she works as a neuro and vestibular physical therapist. This means she works with and treats patients with dizziness and balance issues. Vestibular rehabilitation is a specific type of PT to help with balance issues and dizziness. Neuro and Vestibular PT are symbotic, in the way that balance is directly related to the brain and every sensory organ. Therefore, issues in the sensory organs can lead to dizziness and loss of balance
Concussions
Concussions are a mild version of a traumatic brain injury. A Concussion can be described as when your brain makes contact with the skull, similar to a brain bruise. Concussions can affect the function of the brain. This can include headaches, dizziness, light sensitivity, balance difficulties, trouble concentrating, and other symptoms.
HOW TO RECOGNIZE A CONCUSSION:
Dizziness
Neck pain or tenderness
Double vision
Weakness in arms or legs
Severe or increasing headache
Seizure or convulsion
Loss of consciousness
Deteriorating conscious state
Vomiting
Increasing restlessness
Agitated or combative state
CRT 5 and SCAT5
The CRT5 and the SCAT5 are two different ways to test for a concussion. A CRT5 can be used by anyone, but the SCAT5 must be done by a trained medical professional.
As you go through one of these tests with a patient, make sure to watch for observable signs, red flags, and memory assessment. Terra Andrews gave each of us our SCAT5 test and let us test our table partner. After we worked through the test a little bit, she demonstrated some of the physical tests a patient would undergo under the SCAT5 test.
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